Buffer check for loom pickers



H. R. HAUPT 2,111,489

BUFFER CHECK FOR LOOM PICKERS Filed Sept. 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l March H5,

H. R. HAUPT 2,111,489

BUFFER CHECK FOR LOOM PICKERS Filed Sept. 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 15, 1938 PAT . r Fries 3 Claims.

This'invention relates to new and useful improvements in buffer-checks for loo-m pickers, of which the following is a full, clear; and" exact description. e I

In the usual construction of a loom the shutt-leis thrown backand forth through the shed formedby the separation of warp threads for the purpose of laying the weft thread during its courseof travel; The shuttle is arrested at each end of its path by contact with a device called the picker which slideson a rodor on a plurality of rods parallel to'the shuttle box.

Thepicker, which is actuated by a picker stick toalso actuatetheshuttle, affords ayielding resistance to the shuttle and reduces to some extent the'foroe of the blow of the shuttle impact.

Checks: or springs of various forms and materials have been used as buffers for the picker t'mfurtherminimize the shuttle shock, but owing tdtherapid and numerous stresses to which they aresubjected, difficulty has been experienced in finding bothform and material possessing marked-characteristics of elasticity and durability. Buffers of metal, leather, rubber, and combinations of such materials have-been used without-completely satisfactory results.

113518 therefore the object of my invention to provide abuffer-check for loom pickers which possesses the characteristics of maximum durability. andelasticity. More particularly, it is a further object. of the invention to condition a relatively soft. rubber buffer-check so that its in herent. elasticity may be' utilized to the greatest advantage.

My'invention is based on the discovery that the failure. of prior. buffers, particularly those ofconsiderable cross sectional dimensions necessitated bythe use of rubber and toalesser degree leather, arisesfrom two causes. In the first place, a high coefficient of. friction is, inherent in such relatively. soft flexiblematerials. In the second place, and to .a greater extent, prior failures have been causedby the oblique position of the-rod aperture inthe buffer with respect to the axis, of therodsupon which the buffer is supported. This condition becomes particularly evident inview of the:fact1that buffers are usually made of a strip of: material having holes'at each end which are brought; into; registration by bending the strip into: ageneral U -shape so that the supporting rod maypass through the holes. Under such constructionsthe buffer is under a tension which continuouslyurgesdiagonally opposite edges of the red-aperture at each end of the bufferv into tight; contact with its supporting rod. This condition increases thefriction between the buffer and-therrod,createsan excess of vibration during its =operation,, results infaulty operation, and reduces the useful life of the buffer to a minimum.

Theseare; the sp ecific objections which I have overcome through my invention which I shall now describe in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the shuttle and shuttle box of a loom with a picker and rod, and having a buffer-check made in accordance with the teaching of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same with the shuttle box removed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my buffer-check prior to its application to a loom;

Fig. 4- is-a cross-sectional view of one end of the buffer-check, taken on line tt'ofFig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; I

Fig. 6 is a top plan view similar to that of Fig. 1, but showing a modified form of my buffer-check applied to a loom;

Fig. '7 is a front elevation of the modifiedsform of my invention. and corresponds ingeneral to Fig. 2;

Fig. 8- is a cross-sectional view taken. on a longitudinal vertical plane through my modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the modification, taken on a longitudinal horizontal plane therethrough.

In. the drawings, which I have used only for the purpose of teaching the principle of my invention in two characteristic embodiments, and in the following description, the, same reference characters will be used to designate like parts with the exception that, for convenience in. consideration, in the modified form HID will be added tothe characters of the first form of the inven tion.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the shuttle ll], shuttle box E2 in which the shuttle is reciprocated, picker Hi, picker-rod 56 on which the picker is slidingly mounted, frame 8, for the picker-rod and the picker-stick 2t entering'a slot inthe picker and having means (not shown) for .moving the picker and having means (not shown) for moving the stick and through it the picker in material such as leather, but preferably of rubber of relatively soft character. It has been found that a relatively soft rubber for this purpose is admirable because of its elasticity and its wearing qualities, although heretofore such relatively soft materials have not been conditioned for use as buffer-checks. The elastic body member 22 is sufficiently long to permit the same to be bent upon itself into a U-shape to provide a striking portion for the picker and a support portion which normally rests against the support I8 joined by an intermediate flexible body portion. About each end of the body 22 is placed a band of rigid material of substantial width 24. This material may be stiff raw-hide or metal. The ends of the band may be overlapped as particularly shown in Fig. 5, and are conveniently fixed in this relation by means of rivets 26. After the bands 24 have been afiixed to the elastic body member 22, a hole 28 is drilled through the band 24 and through the body 22. These holes are positioned midway between the edges of the body member and the axes thereof are perpendicular to the horizontal longitudinal plane of the body portion.

In a more highly developed form of the invention, and one particularly recommended for use with relatively soft resilient body members, the mode of construction is somewhat changed in that the holes 28 are first provided through the body member and hard-wear resisting bushings 30, having a length equal to the thickness of the body member 22, are inserted into these apertures. Thereafter the bands 24 are placed about the ends of the body member as hereinbefore described either first having holes 28 provided therein to register with the bushing aperture, or being adapted to have these holes drilled therethrough after the bands have been placed in position.

A bufier-check of this type is designed to cooperate with conventional loom parts and, indeed, departs from conventional constructions but little in so far as general apperance is concerned. The buffer-check rod I6 is passed through the apertures 28 so that the buffer-check assumes the general U-shape indicated in Fig. 2. However, by virtue of the rigid bands 24, a considerable portion of the end of the buffer-check body 22 is inhibited against flexing. Therefore the axes of apertures 28 are substantially coincident and are accordingly maintained parallel or conicident to the axis of the buffer-check rod I6. Furthermore, and particularly in the use of relatively soft materials, the bushing 3|! inhibits wear and acts furthermore as an anti-friction bearing surface against the rod I6. It will be noted that the band 24 not only performs the function of maintaining the axes of apertures 28 susbtantially coincident and parallel to the axis of rod I 6, but at the same time fulfills the subsidiary function of maintaining the bushing 38 in position. This is accomplished by the fact that the ends of the bushings 3E) define an annulus of greater radial extent than the circumference of the aperture in the band 24.

In Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, I have shown an exemplification of the principles of my invention as embodied in a buffer-check which more radically departs from conventional lines of construction. In this form of the invention the buffer-check I22 is constructed of relatively soft but highly elastic molded rubber and assumes a substantially rectilinear form wherein there are two parallel end portions I32 and two parallel side members I34 which constitute connections for the end portions I32. Coaxial apertures I36 are provided through the end portions I32 and these apertures are lined by bushings I30, preferably of relatively smooth hard molded material such as very hard rubber or bakelite. It will be noted that the bushings l30 are recessed at I38 so that during the molding of the buffer-check I22 a portion of the plastic rubber fills the recess I38 to form a positive holding means for the bushing. With this construction the bushing is positively held in place and effectively resists any tendency the picker may have toward dislodging the same.

It will be noted that a greater degree of flexibility may be imparted to this form of the picker-check by providing grooves I40 at the juncture of the end portions I32 with the parallel side members I34. These grooves effectively guard against breakage or cracking which might be experienced in a check of this type were the body portion of the material at that point of its original thickness.

It will be evident that the buffer-check I22 is positioned for use by passing the picker-rod H6 through the apertures I36 so that one end I32 lies against the frame member IIB while the other end I36 lies in the path of the picker H4. During loom operation there will be no tendency toward axial disalignment between apertures I36 themselves or With respect to the picker-rod H6.

From the foregoing description it will appear that by the practice of my invention the axes of the buffer-check apertures and the axis of the supporting rod will always be maintained coaxially and that excessive friction, sticking, and imperfections in operation will be thereby avoided. Furthermore this invention makes possible the use of a relatively soft rubber in its manufacture, thereby securing to the user the advantages inherent in such material.

Having now disclosed the principles of my invention in connection with specific embodiments thereof for purpose of illustration only, I do not wish to be limited in the practice of my in vention other than by limitations which, may be imposed thereon by the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A buffer-check for loom pickers comprising a loom frame contacting face and a parallel picker contacting face, coaxial apertures in said face portions adapted to receive a picker rod, substantially parallel spaced flexible side members joining said face portions and maintaining the apertures therein axially parallel to the axis of said picker rod during the entire operative movement of said buffer check.

2. A buffer-check for loom pickers comprising a loom frame contacting face and a parallel picker contacting face, coaxial apertures in said face portions adapted to receive a picker rod, a wear resisting bushing having a peripheral groove securely fixed in said apertures by interlocking I with a portion of said face portions, substantially parallel spaced flexible side members joining said face portions and maintaining the apertures therein axially parallel to the axis of said picker rod during the entire operative movement of said buffer-check.

3. A buffer-check of relatively soft flexible rubber for loom pickers comprising a loom frame contacting face and a parallel picker contacting face, coaxial apertures in said face portions adapted to receive a picker rod, a wear resisting bushing having a peripheral groove securely fixed in said apertures by interlocking with a portion of said face portions, substantially parallel spaced flexible side members joining said face portions and maintaining the apertures therein axially parallel to the axis of said picker rod during the entire operative movement of said buffer-check.

HARVEY R. HAUPT. 

